Fudgy Black Bean Cookies - NO eggs or dairy needed for these deliciously fudgy and healthy cookies made with sneaky black beans! These are higher in protein and lower in sugar than the average cookie.
Have you ever tried making a dessert with beans?
It's truly an amazing thing.
They not only add texture, but they also replace the majority of flour that would be needed in a regular cookie recipe.
I also enjoy the added protein, which buffers the carb content of the treat. Whenever I have a treat, I'm happy if it includes some protein, as it is less of a blow to my blood sugar.
I created this recipe almost ten years ago, and it is still well-loved. It reminds me of the two-pack Grandma's double chocolate fudge cookies sold in gas stations!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Black beans - Black beans, in particular, are needed for these cookies. They add texture, as well as a 'fudge' factor.
- Coconut oil - You could also use olive oil or melted butter.
- Brown rice flour - I like to use brown rice flour in these, as I like the flavor it adds. Oat flour will also work!
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Cocoa powder
- Coconut sugar - Any granulated variety will work!
- Maple syrup
- Milk of your choice - Water will also work.
- Stevia - This makes them nice and sweet, but it can be omitted.
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips - I prefer to chop up a chocolate bar and use the pieces (cheaper!).
How to make black bean cookies
Put all of the ingredients into a food processor (in the order listed) minus the chocolate, and process until smooth.
Dollop the batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top with the reserved chocolate.
Recipe notes
Make sure to process the batter until it is completely smooth. This may take 2-3 minutes.
The cookies will spread as they bake, there's no need to press down on them beforehand.
Allow the cookies to cool COMPLETELY once out of the oven, as there is no egg or gluten to bind them together.
Other bean-based treats you might enjoy
The BEST Vegan Black Bean Brownies
Black Bean Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Fudgy Black Bean Cookies
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoons brown rice flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon milk of your choice
- ¼ teaspoon stevia powder optional; makes it sweeter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Put all of the ingredients into a food processor in the order listed (except for the chopped chocolate).
- Process until smooth and well combined (2-3 minutes), scraping down the sides as needed.
- Using a spoon, scoop the dough out onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet (I get 12 decent-sized cookies).
- Top each cookie with a sprinkle of the chopped dark chocolate.
- Bake the cookies for 18-20 minutes.
- Cool completely. This is allows the cookies to set and hold together upon being picked up.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Reena
Just made these. They came out perfect! Thanks 😊
Stephen
Magnifique! I was looking for a cane sugar free black bean cookie I could make with what I already had on hand, and this was just the trick. I didn’t have brow rice flour, so I substituted Sweet rice flour (the kind used to make mochi). It gave them a wonderful tenderness.
Lauren
Thanks, Stephen, so glad you enjoyed these! I need to revisit this recipe myself. 🙂
Sonya
These were amazing! I made them with oat flour as I didn't have brown rice flour and used molasses instead of coconut sugar. They were simply delicious!
Rosemary Grieve
These sound DELICIOUS! Looking forward to trying your recipe. I'm in the UK - what do your T / t's mean in terms of measurements? Here we have: teaspoon - desert spoon - table spoon. With thanks + good wishes 😀
Lauren
Hi Rosemary,
T is for tablespoon and t is for teaspoon. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
Sarah
These look absolutely delicious! I love working legumes into healthy dessert recipes. I'm going play around with this idea this afternoon 🙂
Jo
I want to thank you so very much for this recipe. I credit these cookies with keeping my feed-refusing toddler off a nasal-gastric tube (which is the path we were forced down with her older sister). Protein!! In a chocolate cookie. Bless you for this recipe. They work beautifully every time &I with cannelleni beans if I've run out if black beans and I can raven bake it as a little loaf. Anyway. Thank you.
Lauren
Oh, that's so great Jo, I'm so happy your little one enjoyed them too! 🙂
Claudy
Your cookie recipe is a great idea for Passover baking when regular flour is not used.
I tried this recipe with chickpea flour, because I was out of rice flour, and it was for a friend who has an allergy to eggs wheat and dairy. It's perfect! Tasted very good, but I would like to try it with milk chocolate cocoa for myself.
Thank you!
Lauren
Thanks Claudy, I'm so happy you enjoyed them!
Linda
Hi if you dont want to use stevia in the recipes what would you suggest?
Lauren
Hi Linda,
Sorry for the delay, I would try adding another tablespoon or so of a granulated sweetener.
Vanessa M.
I followed a commenter's suggestion and used whey protein instead of brown rice powder (I was out!!!), 1/4 tsp each of baking soda and baking powder, and only used 1/4 tsp salt. I used red kidney beans instead of black beans (once again, because I was out) and the cookies were still a beautiful dark chocolate color. Yummy straight out of the oven, and good at room temperature! I've only made a few black bean cookie recipes, but this is the best one I've made, hands down!
Lauren
So happy you enjoyed them Vanessa!
Jo
These look so yummy. My girls will just love these! They're always begging me for the double chocolate chip cookies at the bakery, and I've been searching for a healthy alternative. I think these will be winners in my household!
Keri
These were great. I used vanilla whey protein powder instead of brown rice flour and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, baking soda and baking powder. They were great right out of the oven and did not fall apart when they were warm.Yummy!!
Lauren
That's great Keri, thanks for the comment!
Kat
I'm new to baking with beans (but love what I have tried so far !) I really like chocolate walnut cookies , do you think if I added some chopped walnuts to the batter they would still come out ok?
Lauren
I think that would work great! 🙂
Laura
Just wondering if you have tried using half baking powder to half baking soda...you might get the best of both doing that. I know of other recipes that use both.
Lauren
Sure, that would work!
konstantina
So remember when cooking this recipe keep doors and windows shut so you can avoid unwanted predators! Lol Bless will definitely try this one! 🙂
Donna
Hi
I just realized I needed brown rice flour, just got back from the store...don't want to go back.
any other flour that would work? I have buckwheat in the house, coconut, teff....oat but I would rather not use the oat.....thanks. if you think oat is best please let me know, however. thx
Lauren
Hi Donna,
Sorry for the delay, buckwheat or teff flour should work! 🙂
Gaby
Hi Lauren:
I'm looking for a grain-free recipe. Do you think coconut flour would work as a substitute?
Maxine
Coconut flour worked for me!
Marissa
Hi I was wondering if chickpeas would work instead of black beans 😛 I don't have any black beans in the house but I really wanna try make these!
Lauren
Hi Marissa,
I would think they would, though the cookies may be a bit lighter in color and have a slightly different taste. They would definitely offer the same consistency though. 🙂
Cassie
I love fudgy cookies but haven't had any since giving up gluten... and giving up cookies as a whole during Christmas because I know what a dark, dark path that leads me down... I have to try these, they look great!
amber
Love this recipe, Lauren! So awesome. 🙂
We had a wasp problem in our old house - we lived in a new development with few trees and sparse vegetation and we had nests ALL over our house (and a two story house so they were hard to reach). They are aggressive little buggers. I had to laugh though at your description. Thanks for the giggle tonight. And good for you girl. I'm proud of you for going for it (despite your fear) and getting that thing of your house!
Lauren
Thank you Amber! Yes, wasps are scary! We still haven't sorted out the girls' allergies, so I'm scared of one of them getting stung and having a bad reaction as well. I'm happy you found the story amusing! 😀
Gabby @ the veggie nook
Eeesh not a fun experience! I am so afraid of wasps too, I just freeze when I see them. I guess I figure if I'm not moving, they can't see me? No it's not logical but my muscles refuse respond! Don't know what I'd have done in your situation!
On the plus side, these look amazing 🙂
Lauren
Hahaha, my husband and I both cracked up over your comment! 😀
Heather @Gluten-Free Cat
No wonder you attracted wasps. I can't believe you didn't attract all of the neighborhood pets with those incredible looking cookies! We had a wasp infestation. There was no shooing them out the door either. They were living in our chimney and started flying into our home in droves. I'm a vegan, but you have to protect yourself and your family!
Lauren
Hahaha, thank you Heather! I needed a nice comment after today! 🙂
Mike @TheIronYou
Lauren v Wasp 1-0, but you need to master your snipering skills Lauren. One hard blow, that's really all you need.
Great looking cookies btw, I could definitely use a couple right now!
Lauren
Lololol, thanks buddy!
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa
I've tried so many black bean things but these look so unique for some reason haha! They look nothing like black beans, I will certainly give them a try 🙂
Amanda
I am the same way with bugs - irrationally scared (moths are my nemesis! I just find them so repulsive). I've actually passed this fear on to Honey (yes, my dog) who now cries when there's a bug in the apartment. Last time we had a wasp come inside, I ended up vacuuming it up with the long hose so I could keep my distance! And then I made Aaron empty the vacuum outside when he got home. This stuff only seems to happen when Aaron's at work
.
Your cookies look great! I am so jealous of your weather right now. It was in the single digits in Boston last night. I'm trying to figure out how we can move somewhere warm in the winters...
Lauren
A vacuum would have been a great idea! We have a ShopVac that would have sucked him up so fast!
Yikes on your weather! Tucson is lovely in the winters, and you have a fellow blogging buddy here... 😉
dawn
the cookies look good but your story is PRICELESS! you poor thing!
i think all women hate insects/bugs of any kind, but if we're by ourselves, we get it done.
glad you're safe, LOL!
Lauren
Haha, thanks Dawn! 🙂
A. Noni Mouse
Not all women hate bugs &/or scared of bugs! I'm not scared of bugs, reptiles or amphibians either! I grew up in a large family & we were big into outdoors & everything that went eith it, just so you know stereotypes & absolutes are usually inaccurate.
The recipe looks great & I'm going to try it as I eat gluten-free & this recipe looks great! Im sick of eating nasty substitutes!